Questions

• What is the ZXTM Desktop Edition?
  
• What can I use it for?
  
• I've downloaded and installed it. Now what?
  
• What is a 'development license'?
  
• Can I use this Desktop Edition to gauge the performance of ZXTM?
  

Common Problems

• I can't run the Desktop Edition on VMware's ESX 2.5.x server.
  
• I can't run the Desktop Edition because I get an 'insufficient memory' error.
  
• When the Desktop Edition boots, it states that there was a problem with DHCP.
  
• How do I get console access to the Desktop Edition?
  
• When the ZXTM software starts up, I see a 'Serious: STI failed' message.
  
• I have a problem. How can I get help?
  

What is the ZXTM Desktop Edition?

The ZXTM Desktop Edition is a pre-packaged version of Zeus' ZXTM software, running on a special Linux installation. You can use VMware's virtualization technology to run this Desktop Edition on any Windows or Linux desktop or server.

It's completely unintrusive. You do not need dedicated hardware, and you do not need to install any additional software, other than the required VMware software. You can use VMware Player or VMware Server (both of which are free), or VMware Workstation.

We also have a production-ready ZXTM Virtual Appliance that you can download and deploy in a live environment. You can find more details on the ZXTM VA product pages.

What can I use it for?

You may use the ZXTM Desktop Edition:

• To evaluate the ZXTM software;
• As a development system, when testing configurations and TrafficScript rules;
• As a demonstration system, for example, when demonstrating ZXTM-based solutions to colleagues and customers.

You may not use the ZXTM Desktop Edition in a production environment, or any other environment where it is managing live traffic. The terms of use specifically forbid this.

For a production environment, use ZXTM VA which you can deploy on VMware Virtual Infrastructure.

I've downloaded and installed it. Now what?

Read the Using your ZXTM Desktop Edition documentation.

The documentation describes how to run the Desktop Edition, and gives several worked examples illustrating common configurations of ZXTM.

What is a 'development license key'?

The ZXTM Desktop Edition includes a 'development license'. This license key enables all the optional software features of ZXTM, including bandwidth management, service level monitoring and web content caching.

The license key restricts the performance of the ZXTM software. The software will not process more than 5 simultaneous connections, and it will not accept connections from more than 10 distinct clients (counted by IP address).

Can I use this Desktop Edition to gauge the performance of ZXTM?

No. The virtual machine is not intended for this purpose. You will get very poor performance figures from it because:

• The virtual machine uses a development license which restricts the number of simultaneous connections it can process.
• The virtual machine is not configured with performance in mind. For example, the available memory is very limited so that the machine can function on a wide range of host systems.
• The VMware execution environment adds a performance penalty that may degrade performance considerably.

If you would like to gauge the performance of ZXTM, you should apply for a full product evaluation and consider tuning your ZXTM system. Our support team will be able to help you configure and benchmark the system correctly.

I can't run the Desktop Edition on VMware's ESX 2.5.x server.

VMware's ESX 2.5.x server does not support the most recent file format for their virtual machines. Use VMware ESX 3.0, Server, Player or Workstation instead.

I can't run the Desktop Edition because I get an 'insufficient memory' error.

The Desktop Edition requires a minimum of 96Mb memory to run. In practice, this means that your host computer should have at least 256Mb memory in order that it can run the machine comfortably.

When the Desktop Edition boots, it states that there was a problem with DHCP.

The virtual machine needs to access the network in order to process network traffic. VMware provides three different ways to configure network access. The Desktop Edition uses 'bridged' by default, but you can change this if necessary.

• The preferred mode to run the Desktop Edition is 'bridged'. In this mode, the Desktop Edition obtains a fully routable IP address so that you can connect to it from another computer. This method requires that you have a DHCP server running on your network.

  If you do not have a DHCP server, or if it is not configured appropriately, the 'bridged' method will not work. The Desktop Edition will report that it could not obtain an IP address using DHCP.

• An alternative network configuration is 'NAT'. In this case, the Desktop Edition shares the host computer's network address. You will need to use 'NAT' if there are no suitable DHCP servers on your network.

  If you use 'NAT', you will only be able to connect to your Desktop Edition from your host computer. You will not be able to connect to it from other computers on the network. Your virtual machine will be able to load-balance traffic to other servers on local or remote networks.

• Finally, you can use 'Host-only' networking. This may be appropriate if the host machine does not have any network connectivity.

  With 'Host-only' networking, you can only connect to your Desktop Edition from your host computer. Your virtual machine will not be able to connect to other services. You may want to install some additional server software inside the virtual machine.

How do I get console access to the Desktop Edition?

Console access is available through tty2. Use 'Alt-F2' to switch to tty2, then log in as user 'zeus' (no password). Use sudo to run commands as root.

You can get remote SSH access via the 'zeus' account, but this is locked if the 'zeus' password is empty. To use SSH, first log in to the console and set a password for the 'zeus' account by typing the command passwd zeus.

When the ZXTM software starts up, I see a 'Serious: STI failed' message.

This may happen on a very low powered host computer, or a computer which is overloaded or starved of memory. It occurs when the Desktop Edition cannot get sufficient resources to run smoothly.

This message indicates that the software may function slowly - you really need a more powerful host computer - but everything will still work correctly.

I have a problem. How can I get help?

Take a look at the Using your ZXTM Desktop Edition documentation. Send an email to knowledgehub@zeus.com.

If you have a VMware-related question, you can visit VMware's KnowledgeBase and Discussion Forums on their VMware Technology Network.

Owen Garrett [Zeus Dev Team] 21 May 2007